Device for controlling the working speed of bottle treating machines, preferably filling machines in bottle treating installations

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for controlling the speed of conveyors which convey bottles to and from a bottle filling machine in which the conveyors are so supported as to be yieldable under the weight of bottles thereon. Detectors detect the vertical movement of the conveyors and control the speed of the conveyor drive motor so that downward movement of the conveyors slow down the motor while upward movement of the conveyors speed up the motor. The control of the drive motor is such that downward movement of the conveyor taking bottles away from the filling machine will cause the motor to slow down regardless of the vertical position of the conveyor which supplies bottles to the filling machine.

United States Patent 1191 Kiister et al.

[ Mar. 18, 1975 1 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE WORKING SPEED OF BOTTLE TREATING MACHINES. PREFERABLY FILLING MACHINES IN BOTTLE TREATING INSTALLATIONS [75] Inventors: Jiirgen Kiister, Bad

Munster-Ebernburg; Hermann Sehlosser, Kamp-Bornhofen, both of Germany [731 Assignee: Seitz-Werke GmbH, Bad

Kreuznach, Germany [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 [2]] Appl No: 376,609

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 10. 1972 Germany a 223379l [52} US. Cl 11 198/37, 141/167 151 1 Int. Cl. 1. 865g 43/08 158] Field of Search 198/37. 76, 39; 141/167, 141/183 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.367.775 H1945 Hoffman 198/37 2,753099 7/1956 Jenner et a1 4. 141/183 X FOREIGN PATENTS ()R APPLICATIONS 9371422 9/1963 United Kingdom U 198/37 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant E.taminerDouglas D. Watts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT An arrangement for controlling the speed of conveyors which convey bottles to and from a bottle filling machine in which the conveyors are so supported as to be yieldable under the weight of bottles thereon. Detectors detect the vertical movement of the conveyors and control the speed of the conveyor drive motor so that downward movement of the conveyors slow down the motor while upward movement of the conveyors speed up the motor. The control of the drive motor is such that downward movement of the conveyor taking bottles away from the filling machine will cause the motor to slow down regardless of the vertical position of the conveyor which supplies bottles to the filling machine.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARIBIQFS @871 509 Sum 1 OF 2 Fig. 1

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE WORKING SPEED OF BOTTLE TREATING MACHINES, PREFERABLY FILLING MACHINES IN BOTTLE TREATING INSTALLATIONS The present invention relates to a device for controlling the working speed of bottle treating machines, especially filling machines, which are interconnected by conveyors. in conformity with the weight of the bottles transported on the conveyor.

Control devices are disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 1,954,299 dated May 13, l97l which effect a speed control of the driving motor of bottle treating machines in conformity with the bottle weight while the feeding conveyor preceding the machine or a portion of said feeding conveyor forms a weighing device.

Furthermore. German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,046,280 dated Mar. 23. 1972 discloses a design which starts with the bend of the feeding conveyor and provides a pulse emitter actuated by the bend and is in the form of a pressure measuring device. The pulses thereof bring about a change in the speed of the driving motor. To this end, the pressure measuring device is positively arranged between two adjacent supports of the feeding conveyor and statically considered represents a beam on three supports which represents an indefinite system and does not permit a precise speed control. This is due in particular to the fact that the supports of the feeding conveyor are not firmly anchored in the ground and their supporting points are in indefinite positions. Bending values resulting therefrom are likewise indefinite and are no longer dependent on the bottle weight, especially also for the reason that a feeding conveyor together with other conveyors of the installation represents a compound which is statically indefinite several times and during the operation of the installation works in itself. With the heretofore known device of the type involved, also the utilization of a pressure measuring device is disadvantageous because the response of such pressure measuring device requires conveyor paths with sufficient bend. Aside from the fact that conveyor constructions naturally have different bending resistance, the supporting widths are so small that bends sufficient for the response of pressure measuring devices do not occur. and the speed control range cannot be fully made use of. With the heretofore known design of the type involved, the limitation to the feeding conveyors of treating machines is likewise unsatisfactory. In this connection it is not taken into consideration that a speed control of the machine is also frequently necessary in view of a backing up of bottles.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a control device which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks and which will represent an improvement with regard to its response behavior as well as its ability of being controlled and which with regard to the speed control also takes into consideration the bottles which are being conveyed to the treating machine as well as the bottles which are being withdrawn therefrom.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I diagrammatically illustrates a bottle treating machine with preceding and following conveyor paths and with built-in contact-free pulse emitters,

FIG. 2 illustrates a pulse emitter associated with the feeding conveyor.

FIG. 3 illustrates a pulse emitter associated with the withdrawing conveyor.

The present invention starts with a control device with a pulse emitter arranged between two adjacent conveyor supports. This pulse emitter is adapted to be influenced during the bottle transfer by the bend of the input conveyor while the pulse emitter controls the speed electrically or electronically.

The device according to the invention is characterized primarily in that contact-free pulse emitters are provided individually or combined into groups with the conveyor in a relationship preceding and following as arranged between two supporting pairs firmly anchored in the ground within the region of a sufficient conveyor path bend. The device according to the invention is furthermore characterized in that there is provided a control element which evaluates the pulses of the pulse emitter of the preceding and following conveyor path and the speed governor is influenced thereby in such a way that when registering pulses of the following conveyor path, the speed of the machine drive is reduced regardless of the pulses emitted from the preceding conveyor or conveyor path.

With the speed control of the drive motor effected in conformity with the invention by a contact-free registering of the conveyor path bend, the suggested positive connection of the conveyor path supports with the ground results in a beam on two supports which adopts definite static equilibrium positions and also adopts bends which are dependent only on the bottle weight and are suitable for the control. There is further disclosure also to incorporate the withdrawal conveyor of the machine into the control system and to equip the machine with contact-free impulse emitters. Also disclosed is the step to combine the pulse emitters of the feed-in and withdrawing conveyor and to evaluate their pulses in an electric element finally to bring about that the machine automatically controls its working speed. The foregoing independently of the quantity of bottles conveyed thereto will reduce output particularly when a back-up of the bottles occurs on the withdrawing con veyor.

In order to improve the response behavior of the pulse emitter with conveyors with insufficient bend, for instance, with short supporting distances, low bottle weight, or great bending resistance, or in order to utilize any desired length of the conveyor for a contactfree registering of the conveyor path bend regardless of the number of the support pairs for the speed control. There is provided according to the present invention that one or more contact-free pulse emitters are arranged at the spacing of a plurality of support pairs of the preceding or following conveyor. For evaluating their pulses by the control element, the pulse emitters respectively associated with the conveyors are connected to each other.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention. the pulse emitters are designed as stroke measuring devices which respectively comprise a measuring element. The foregoing in planes of different height are located opposite to each other and which furthermore comprise an actuating element each. To this end it is suggested according to the invention that the measuring element is arranged on a horizontal beam of the conveyor frame between supports, and that the actuating element is provided on a fixed rail which is independent of the frame beam and is parallel thereto. The actuating element may expediently comprise a head screw which is adjustably connected to the rail, said head screw having its head directed toward the measuring element.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the bottle treating machine illustrated in FIG. 1 represents a filling machine 10, which comprises a feed-in conveyor path 11 which feeds the bottles, for instance, from a cleaning machine, and which also comprises a with drawing conveyor path 12 which conveys the filled botties to a connecting machine, for instance, a closing machine. The conveyor paths 11 and 12 are connected to the machine 10, and over their length are provided with supports which are firmly anchored in the ground 13. The illustrated supports of the feed-in conveyor path 11 are designated with the reference numerals l4, 15, 16 whereas the supports for the withdrawing conveyor path 12 are designated with the reference numerals 17,18 and 19. Between the support pairs 14, and l5, 16, there is provided the feed-in conveyor path 11 with a contact-free pulse emitter 20 and 21, respectively. Further contact-free pulse emitters 22 and 23 are arranged on the withdrawing conveyor path 12 between the support pairs 17, 18 and the support pairs l8, l9.

stroke will be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the contact- ,free pulse emitters 20, 21, 22, 23 are expediently designed as stroke measuring devices. These strokes measuring devices each comprise a measuring element 25, which measuring elements face each other in planes of different heights and also each comprises an actuating element 26. The measuring element 25 with which the measuring operation is based on a change in the properties of a magnetic field during the approach of a me tallic article, is fastened to a horizontal beam 27 of a conveyor frame within the region of a sufficient bend between a support pair l4, 15; 15, 16 and 17, 18; 18, 19, The actuating element 26 is expediently arranged for adjustment as to height and is mounted on a fixed rail 28 independently of the frame beam 27. With the stroke measuring devices 20, 21 of the feed-in path 11, the measuring element 25 is located above the head screw 26 (FIG. 2). With the withdrawing conveyor 12, the arrangement ofthe stroke measuring devices 22, 23 is reversed (FIG. 3).

As illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 1, the impulse emitters 20, 21 associated with the input conveyor path 11 have the measuring elements 25 electrically connected to each other and also connected to a control element 30. Likewise connected to each other and connected to the control element 30 are measuring elements 25 of the pulse emitters 22, 23 of the withdrawing conveyor path 12. The control element 30 is followed by a speed governor 31 known per se, which acts upon the drive motor 33 ofthe machine 10, which drive motor is equipped with a tacho generator 32. This arrangement operates as follows: During normal operation, the bottles fed on the conveyor path 11 move into the rotating machine 10 and subsequently through the conveyor path 12 move to the next following treating machine. The bends of the feeding-in path 11 caused by the respective bottle weight within the region of the support pairs 14, 15 and 15, 16 bring about that the measuring elements 25 of the pulse emitter 20, 21 carry out relative movements with regard to the actuating elements 26 while the generated pulses are transformed into an electric voltage analogous to the respective bottle weight. The speed of the motor 33 will be increased or decreased accordingly through the intervention of the control member 30 and the governor 31. If circumstances bring about a back up of the bottles on the withdrawing conveyor path 12, the pulse emitters 22, 23 which operate in the same manner will respond due to the increased bottle weight. The pulses of the pulse emitters 22, 23 are registered by the control element 30 which, independent of the continuing bottle feeding on the feeding conveyor path 11 and the thereby released pulses of the pulse emitter 20, 21, causes the governor 31 to reduce the speed ofthe motor 33. When the measuring elements 25 of the pulse emitters 22, 23, after remedying the bottle back up in view of the reduced bottle weights again occupy the starting position rela tive to their respective actuating element, the lacking pulse emission brings about an increase in the motor speed by the governor.

it is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specific embodi ment set forth above, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the device according to the invention is suitable for all vessel treating machines with preceding and following conveyor path and is adapted to be used in connection therewith with one or more contact-free pulse emitters between a support pair as well as between a plurality of support pairs of the feeding-in and withdrawing conveyor means.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bottle filling machine; a bottle filling station, conveyor means for conveying bottles to and from said station, drive motor means operatively associated connected to said conveyor means and operable to cause bottles to move therealong at a speed conforming to the speed of the motor means, a signal operated speed controller connected to said motor means operable in response to the supply of signals thereto to adjust the speed of said motor means, support means for said conveyor means engaging points therealong spaced in the conveying direction, said conveyor means being vertically resilient between said points of engagement thereof so as to be yieldable under the weight of the bottles thereon, and detector means responsive to vertical movement of said conveyor means between said points for supplying control signals to said speed controller, said conveying means comprising an incoming conveyor for conveying bottles to said filling station and an outgoing conveyor for conveying bottles from said filling station, said support means comprising a plurality of supports for each conveyor engaging a plu rality of points along the respective conveyor and spaced in conveying direction, each conveyor being vertically resilient between the said points of support pertaining thereto so as to be vertically yieldable under the weight of bottles therein, said detector means com prising at least one detector for each conveyor disposed along the respective conveyor between a pair of the said supports therefor. a control device connected between said detectors and said speed controller operable to receive signals from said detectors and to supply signals to said speed controller, said control device being operable to cause the speed of said motor means to reduce in response to vertical downward movement of said outgoing conveyor regardless of the vertically deflected condition of said incoming conveyor, and a pair of interconnected detectors for each conveyor, each detector being disposed between the supports of a respective pair thereof for the respective conveyor.

2. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said signals cause a reduction in the speed of the motor means in response to downward movement of said conveyor means between said points and an in crease in the speed of the motor means in response to upward movement of the conveyor means between said points.

3. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said detector means comprises signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction.

4. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said detector means comprises contact-free signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction.

5. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said conveyor means comprises a frame including horizontal beam means extending between said points of support, fixed rail means independant from said beam means and adjacent said beam means, said detector means comprising first means carried by said beam means intermediate said points of support and second means carried by said rail means and adjacent said first means.

6. A bottle filling machine according to claim 3 in which one of said first and second means is a magnetically operable element and the other thereof is a magnetic member whereby relative movement of said first and second means will influence said magnetically operable element.

7. In a bottle filling machine; a bottle filling station, conveyor means for conveying bottles to and from said station, drive motor means operatively associated connected to said conveyor means and operable to cause bottles to move therealong at a speed conforming to the speed of the motor means, a signal operated speed controller connected to said motor means operable in response to the supply of signals thereto to adjust the speed of said motor means, support means for said conveyor means engaging points therealong spaced in the conveying direction, said conveyor means being verti' cally resilient between said points of engagement thereof so as to be yieldable under the weight of the bottles thereon, and detector means responsive to ver tical movement of said conveyor means between said points for supplying control signals to said speed controller, said detector means comprising signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction, one of said first and second means being a magnetically operable element and the other thereof being a magnetic member whereby relative movement of said first and second means will influence said magnetically operable element. said magnetic member being a screw having a head opposed to said magnetically operable element in vertically spaced relation.

8. A bottle filling machine according to claim 7 in which said conveying means comprises an incoming conveyor for conveying bottles to said filling station and an outgoing conveyor for conveying bottles from said filling station, said support means comprising a plurality of supports for each conveyor engaging a plu rality of points along the respective conveyor and spaced in conveying direction, each conveyor being vertically resilient between the said points of support pertaining thereto so as to be vertically yieldable under the weight of bottles therein, said detector means comprising at least one detector for each conveyor disposed along the respective conveyor between a pair of the said supports therefor, and a control device connected between said detectors and said speed controller operable to receive signals from said detectors and to supply signals to said speed controller. said control device being operable to cause the speed of said motor means to reduce in response to vertical downward movement of said outgoing conveyor regardless of the vertically deflected condition of said incoming conveyor.

* =l k r 

1. In a bottle filling machine; a bottle filling station, conveyor means for conveying bottles to and from said station, drive motor means operatively associated connected to said conveyor means and operable to cause bottles to move therealong at a speed conforming to the speed of the motor means, a signal operated speed controller connected to said motor means operable in response to the supply of signals thereto to adjust the speed of said motor means, support means for said conveyor means engaging points therealong spaced in the conveying direction, said conveyor means being vertically resilient between said points of engagement thereof so as to be yieldable under the weight of the bottles thereon, and detector means responsive to vertical movement of said conveyor means between said points for supplying control signals to said speed controller, said conveying means comprising an incoming conveyor for conveying bottles to said filling station and an outgoing conveyor for conveying bottles from said filling station, said support means comprising a plurality of supports for each conveyor engaging a plurality of points along the respective conveyor and spaced in conveying direction, each conveyor being vertically resilient between the said points of support pertaining thereto so as to be vertically yieldable under the weight of bottles therein, said detector means comprising at least one detector for each conveyor disposed along the respective conveyor between a pair of the said supports therefor, a control device connected between said detectors and said speed controller operable to receive signals from said detectors and to supply signals to said speed controller, said control device being operable to cause the speed of said motor means to reduce in response to vertical downward movement of said outgoing conveyor regardless of the vertically deflected condition of said incoming conveyor, and a pair of interconnected detectors for each conveyor, each detector being disposed between the supports of a respective pair thereof for the respective conveyor.
 2. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said signals cause a reduction in the speed of the motor means in response to downward movement of said conveyor means between said points and an increase in the speed of the motor means in response to upward movement of the conveyor means between said points.
 3. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said detector means comprises signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction.
 4. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said detectOr means comprises contact-free signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction.
 5. A bottle filling machine according to claim 1 in which said conveyor means comprises a frame including horizontal beam means extending between said points of support, fixed rail means independant from said beam means and adjacent said beam means, said detector means comprising first means carried by said beam means intermediate said points of support and second means carried by said rail means and adjacent said first means.
 6. A bottle filling machine according to claim 3 in which one of said first and second means is a magnetically operable element and the other thereof is a magnetic member whereby relative movement of said first and second means will influence said magnetically operable element.
 7. In a bottle filling machine; a bottle filling station, conveyor means for conveying bottles to and from said station, drive motor means operatively associated connected to said conveyor means and operable to cause bottles to move therealong at a speed conforming to the speed of the motor means, a signal operated speed controller connected to said motor means operable in response to the supply of signals thereto to adjust the speed of said motor means, support means for said conveyor means engaging points therealong spaced in the conveying direction, said conveyor means being vertically resilient between said points of engagement thereof so as to be yieldable under the weight of the bottles thereon, and detector means responsive to vertical movement of said conveyor means between said points for supplying control signals to said speed controller, said detector means comprising signal generating means comprising first means connected to the conveyor means between said points and second means stationarily mounted in adjacent relation to said first means, said detector means generating signals in conformity to relative displacement of said first and second means in the vertical direction, one of said first and second means being a magnetically operable element and the other thereof being a magnetic member whereby relative movement of said first and second means will influence said magnetically operable element, said magnetic member being a screw having a head opposed to said magnetically operable element in vertically spaced relation.
 8. A bottle filling machine according to claim 7 in which said conveying means comprises an incoming conveyor for conveying bottles to said filling station and an outgoing conveyor for conveying bottles from said filling station, said support means comprising a plurality of supports for each conveyor engaging a plurality of points along the respective conveyor and spaced in conveying direction, each conveyor being vertically resilient between the said points of support pertaining thereto so as to be vertically yieldable under the weight of bottles therein, said detector means comprising at least one detector for each conveyor disposed along the respective conveyor between a pair of the said supports therefor, and a control device connected between said detectors and said speed controller operable to receive signals from said detectors and to supply signals to said speed controller, said control device being operable to cause the speed of said motor means to reduce in response to vertical downward movement of said outgoing conveyor regardless of the vertically deflected condition of said incoming conveyor. 